JD(U) allies slow to join Nitish's new Bihar government

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar pictured on the first day of his office in Patna

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar may have found unstinting support from Lalu Prasad’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Congress and CPI during the recent crisis in the Janata Dal (United) which led to the resignation of his predecessor Jitan Ram Manjhi, but his allies appear to be in no hurry to join his government.

When Nitish took oath as the chief minister along with the new council of ministers in Patna on Sunday evening, at least the RJD was expected to be part of the coalition government due to the growing solidarity between him and Lalu in recent months.

But out of the 22 ministers who took the oath, all except one turned out to be the JD(U) legislators.

Only one minister – Dulal Chandra Goswami – was an Independent MLA.

Nitish has kept the 14 ministerial posts vacant and is likely to expand his ministry after seeking the trust vote on March 11.

But there is no certainty as to whether the RJD, or for that matter the Congress, will be part of the government.

“Only our party president (Lalu Prasad) is authorised to take all important decision in this regard,” RJD legislature party leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui said.

“But I do not think our leader has so far discussed the matter with Nitish in this regard.”

Siddiqui, however, said that the RJD had not extended its support to the JD(U) government on any precondition.

“Only Laluji will be able to say anything on it after his daughter’s marriage.”

The Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) has also put the ball in the party high command’s court.

BPCC chief Ashok Choudhary said that only the party high command could take a decision on it.

On Sunday, All India Congress Committee president Sonia Gandhi sent a congratulatory message to Nitish on becoming the chief minister again.

She sent senior party leader Motilal Lal Bora to deliver the letter and attend the swearing-in ceremony.

But there was no hint of the Congress joining the ministry soon.

At present, the RJD has 24 members while the Congress has five MLAs in the Bihar assembly.

Their support is crucial for the survival of the Nitish government. Sources said both the RJD and the Congress are not too keen to join the government, which has only about nine months left.

They said that neither party sees any long-term benefit in joining the government for such a short span of time.